The Spare's Sorrow
by herlovethawedthefrozenheart
Summary: Anna has a nightmare. Elsa comforts her.


The Spare's Sorrows

It was always the same one and it always hurt her.

"_Why can't you be more like your sister?" The King told her. Mocking her. "She's such a talented girl. All the tutors agree she's a genius. Meanwhile, it's a miracle if you remember anything you've been taught. Let alone actually be good at any of your subjects."_

"_It's true, Darling." The Queen added as she stood next to her husband. "I'm surprised you turned out the way you did even though you had such a good role model to look up to. She's the picture of sophistication. Not to mention, graceful. Unlike you, who can't seem to take five steps without tripping over something." The Queen laughed, turning to the King. "Can you imagine if she was first born?"_

_The King joined in the laughter. "Arendelle would be in ruins! No, everything is as it should be. Elsa's the Heir. And Anna's just the Spare._

_Anna falls to the ground, her sobs echoing off the walls as the awfulness of their words take root in her heart. She doesn't know where they go, as she can't see past her tears but she knows that the worst part has yet to come._

"_Stand up, you're being pathetic. And yet you wonder why they love me more than you." Anna would know that voice anywhere._

"_Elsa?" Anna asked softly, looking up at her. She looked beautiful, just as she always did. Her platinum blonde hair that was always in place, her perfect figure, not a blemish or freckle in sight. _

_Elsa laughed, enjoying the girl's misery. "Oh yes, it's me. Your big sister." She reached down to Anna and pulled her up roughly. She then wiped the tears from Anna's cheeks in an almost gentle manner, which contrasted the dark look in her eyes. "Honestly, Anna. You could at least try to act like a member of the Royal House. Not an oblivious fool. Always knocking on my door, trying to get me to play with you again, to spend time with you. _Please, Elsa! Just tell me what I did wrong and I'll fix it!" _Elsa pushed Anna away from her. "Why would I want to spend time with you?" Anna backed away from Elsa as she came closer, until her back hit the wall. Elsa put her hands on either side if Anna's shoulders, trapping her. "Why would someone as special as me even give a damn about someone as ordinary as you?"_

_Anna started crying again, knowing it was pointless to argue because everything her family said about her was true._

Elsa jerked awake, knowing something had awaken her but not knowing what. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath, flipping her head to Anna's side of the bed as she heard her sister whimper. "Anna?" She sat up, getting a better look at her sister. Anna was shivering but what worried Elsa was the tear tracks on Anna's face. "Anna!" Elsa lightly shook her, trying to help her sister escape whatever hellish dream she was stuck in. Anna let out a small scream, which made Elsa shake her harder. "Anna, it's me! Please get up!"

Anna awoke with a slight yell, not knowing what was happening. Elsa stopped shaking her, looking at Anna in concern as she sat up and stared at the wall, a haunted look on her face. "Elsa?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?" She asked as she brushed Anna's tears off her cheeks. Anna turned to look at her and then burst into tears. Elsa immediately gathered Anna in her arms. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Please don't cry!"

Anna buried her head into Elsa's chest as the sobs took over. She didn't know how to explain her recurring nightmare to Elsa. She didn't want Elsa to know the terrible things she thought about herself or, even worse, have Elsa agree with them. Anna forced herself to stop crying and look at her sister. "It's nothing. I'm fine, just a bad dream." She said as she wiped her eyes and laid back down. She should have known Elsa wouldn't buy it.

"No. I've seen you after a bad dream and it was nothing like this." Elsa said, laying down so that she could hold Anna, who was doing her best not to start crying again. She rubbed Anna's arms when she noticed she was still shivering. Anna tucked her head into Elsa's neck. "If you don't want to tell me, that's okay. I've just never seen you like that and it worries me.

"It's just…" Anna didn't know what to say. "It's just a nightmare that I've had over and over again, but since I haven't had it in a while, it took me by surprise." Elsa nodded, waiting for her sister to continue. Anna moved her head up so that she could look into Elsa's eyes. "Okay, you know how I have a low opinion about myself?"

Elsa tightened her hold on Anna. One thing they decided early on in their relationship was to always be honest with each other. Elsa was honest about her fear of becoming a monster and hurting those she loved and Anna was honest about how she thought extremely little of herself. Elsa didn't know how Anna couldn't see how amazing she was. She kissed her forehead as a sign to continue.

"In the dream, it's my thoughts about myself but instead of me saying them, it's-" Anna choked up, not sure how Elsa would take this part.

"Go on." Elsa told her quietly. Anna took a deep breath.

"It's you telling me how worthless I am." Anna whispered. "You, Mama, and Papa."

It took Elsa a few seconds to understand what Anna was telling her. _Does she think...does she think we feel that way about her? _"Oh, Anna!" Elsa said as she pressed their foreheads together. "I'm so sorry."

"It's awful." Anna tells her. "I already think those things about myself but to just hear it from them, from _you_…"

"Anna." Elsa says. "I don't know why you think so low of yourself, or _how _even because you are so amazing…" She kissed her cheek. "…beautiful…" Other cheek. "…perfect…" Her nose. "…kind…" Her lips. "But I hope you know that I could never think anything bad about you. Ever." She kissed her again. "And I know Mama and Papa felt the same. They loved you, Anna. I love you."

Anna kissed her. "I know that. I really do." And she did. She knew that Elsa loved her. That her parents loved her. That all these negative things about her came from her. But she couldn't reconcile those thoughts with what she felt.

"I know you may not believe it. I still feel like a monster sometimes." Anna touched her cheek. "But I know that, in time, we'll get where we need to be. I won't feel like a danger to those around me and _you_…" Elsa said forcefully "will see yourself for the beautiful person you are. Inside and out." Anna kissed her, trying to convey how much she appreciated Elsa's confidence in her. And right now, in this moment, she did believe that they could eventually get to a good place. If Elsa believed in her, there was no reason she couldn't believe in herself.


End file.
